1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for selecting data sets stored in a storage medium, and more particularly to such an apparatus and a method in which a storage medium stores a large number of data sets or files as grouped in a smaller number of data groups or directories, each data group containing a plurality of data sets, and there are provided a plurality of group call buttons to be individually allocated for the respective data groups, so that when an intended one of the group call buttons is actuated, the data sets of the called group will be listed in a display window or screen for a further selection of the intended data set from among the listed group. This enables an easy and speedy selection of a particular intended data set from among a large number of data sets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the computer field, the conventional and prevailing manner of selecting a data set (e.g. a file) from among a number of data sets stored in a storage medium in a hierarchical allotment as grouped in a plurality of directories (folders) is to first designate a directory which is one of the storage areas in the storage medium using a mouse device or a keyboard so that a list of a plurality of identifiers (names or marks) are displayed on a large screen representing a corresponding plurality of data sets contained in the designated directory, i.e. the designated storage area, and then to designate a desired identifier using the mouse or the keyboard, and to click the mouse or hit the enter key, thereby designating the aimed data set. Electronic musical instruments these days are mostly configured with computer systems and are provided with a data set selecting arrangement of the above-mentioned type. But, due to lack of a large display screen and a mouse device, an ordinary electronic musical instrument will require the scrolling of a small size display window to call a desired storage area and then to designate an intended data set.
But in the case of such an apparatus not having a mouse device nor a large size display screen as an above-mentioned conventional electronic musical instrument, there will be an inevitable need of pressing the cursor key many times repetitively in order to scroll the displayed list and select an aimed data set in the allotted storage area, which operation will be very troublesome.